Chamber Selects New President & CEO.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce announced today that longtime business, civic and community leader Ralph J. Schulz has been named its new president and CEO, effective Nov. 1, 2006. His selection ends a three-month search that attracted 70 applicants from across the nation.

Schulz, 53, has served as president and chief executive of Nashville-based Adventure Science Center since 1999. He replaces former Chamber head Mike Neal, who resigned the post in mid-July to assume the top job at the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa, Okla.

"This is truly a great day for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and for our city," said Search Committee Chairman Ron Samuels, group president of Regions Bank. "Our committee set out to identify a strong, strategic and passionate leader, and after carefully considering an impressive pool of candidates, we wholeheartedly believe Ralph Schulz is the right person for the job. Under his leadership, we are confident the Nashville Area Chamber will be an even stronger voice for business and engine for economic growth."

According to Samuels, the Chamber's search committee worked with Nashville's Center for Nonprofit Management to develop a list of key attributes to evaluate the candidates. Those attributes included: a strategic thinker with a track record of implementing strategic goals; a skilled and decisive manager who can effectively attract and maintain a strong board with diverse backgrounds; a consensus-builder who understands the political process and can forge durable relationships to achieve progress; a strong financial manager; someone who understands economic development; and someone who demonstrates a passion for the Chamber's mission and a commitment to Nashville.

Schulz has 30-plus years of professional leadership experience, most of which was spent in executive-level positions with nonprofit groups including the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Junior Achievement Inc. Since taking over as president and CEO of Adventure Science Center in July 1999, Schulz is part of the team credited with transforming the organization. Noteworthy achievements at Adventure Science Center during Schulz's tenure include: successful organizational re-branding effort (formerly known as Cumberland Science Museum); annual visitation increased from 167,000 to 334,000; operating revenue increased 74 percent to $3.3 million; the nonprofit raised more than $24.8 million in capital contributions from private/public sources; local/state government funding was restored; and the center opened $10.7 million in new and/or renovated exhibits. In 2001, Schulz received the Marvin Runyon Leadership Award for nonprofit turnaround.

Prior to heading the Adventure Science Center, Schulz served as corporate vice president of marketing and development at NFIB. He also was executive vice president of NFIB's education foundation. The bulk of Schulz's career (22 years) was spent with Junior Achievement, where he served as president and CEO of chapters in New York City, Dallas and Jackson, Miss., after beginning his career with the youth-based nonprofit in Nashville in 1974. From 1990 to 1996, he was national executive vice president for Junior Achievement, based in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Schulz is best known for his community leadership, particularly as it relates to education and tourism. He is a founding board member of Alliance for Public Education and served on the Metro School Funding Task Force in 2005. He chaired Mayor Purcell's Working Group on Tourism in 2003, is the immediate past board chairman of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau and vice chairman of the Music City Center Coalition. Schulz also served on the Nashville Symphony Hall Advisory Committee, is alumni chair for Leadership Nashville and program chair for Rotary Club of Nashville.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to serve the Nashville Area Chamber, its members and staff, and our community in this way," Schulz said. "It all boils down to people Co people who care about Nashville's future and work together to create prosperity that benefits everyone. I'm ready to play a bigger part of that. And I'm proud to go to work for an organization so committed to education and economic development."

The Nashville Area Chamber's overall strategy calls for developing, supporting and delivering tightly-targeted, highly-effective programs and services designed to help businesses grow. Its Partnership 2010 economic development initiative, which has raised $16.3 million to fund regional economic development strategies through 2011, is dedicated to job growth through business expansions and recruitment, educational improvement, workforce development, providing support for innovation and entrepreneurship, and regional infrastructure planning and development.

"Quality schools and education are essential to economic development, and this Chamber has increased its strategic focus to help produce the education system our students deserve and the skilled workforce our existing businesses require to survive and grow," said Darrell Freeman, board chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber and president and CEO of Zycron Inc. "Ralph's experience and passion for education brings a new spark and another credible voice to help lead this charge at the Chamber."

In addition to Samuels and Freeman, the search committee included the following business and community leaders: Michael Carter, president and CEO of Athena Health Club and Day Spa; Agenia Clark, president and CEO of Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley; Marty Dickens, Tennessee president of BellSouth; Bob Fisher, president of Belmont University; Orrin Ingram, president and CEO of Ingram Industries, Inc.; Tom Negri, general manager, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel; and Tom Sherrard, founding member of Sherrard & Roe, PLC.

Nonvoting members of the search committee were Nancy Eisenbrandt, Chamber senior vice president of workforce development, and Janet Miller, Chamber senior vice president of economic development. The pair has served as interim co-president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber since Neal's departure. In addition, Nancy Vincent of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C., served as legal counsel for the committee.

A private, non-profit organization founded in 1847, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is one of Middle Tennessee's largest business federations, representing some 2,500 member companies. With a staff of more than 40 full-time employees, the Nashville Area Chamber provides for its members unique business development programs, valuable resources, effective marketing and visibility opportunities, and business advocacy at all levels. The Chamber's Partnership 2010 economic development initiative serves as the lead marketing effort for the 10-county Nashville region.

Together with its affiliate partners, the Nashville Area Chamber works to strengthen the region's business climate and enhance Nashville's position as a desirable place to live, work, play and visit. Chamber affiliates, which collectively employ another 20-plus full-time employees, include: Nashville Downtown Partnership, Nashville Healthcare Council, Nashville Sports Council, and the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Presented by Bridgestone. For more information, visit the Chamber's web site at www.nashvillechamber.com.